Kim Messer

Kim was found alone with no identification in a train station in Chechon, South Korea. In the orphanage the gave her the name Kee-Soon Baek. Kee lived in the orphanage until she was adopted in 1971, by her new American parents John and Marlys Sanford. She also had a new name: Kimberly Sue Sanford. Kim grew up in Silverton, Oregon. While Kim was in high school she was involved in volleyball, softball, tennis and gymnastics. She also played the piano and was a cheerleader. "I've always been a borderline tomboy," she said in a interview with Women Boxing Archive Network (W.B.A.N.) While Kim was in college at Chemekata Community College in Salem, Oregon, she found her love and passion for martial arts. Kim Started studying Tae Kwon Do for seven years. While studying, she met her future manager and husband Mark Messer. Both looking for greater challenges, they started kickboxing. Kim turned her skills into two successful ring careers, the first as a world champion kick boxer and the second as a pro boxer. As a kick boxer she was fast and aggressive. She earned a reputation as world champion in karate and in kick boxing. Her kicks were strong and often did a lot of damage to her opponents. Since Kim is only 4’11, she often had to fight bigger opponents but that didn’t matter.

Kim was determined to make it back in her homeland of South Korea. The chance came in 1999 when Mark Messer, acting as her publicist, sent a press kit to a Korea-American magazine. The magazine called her and then did a story on “why she wanted to return to Korea to fight in her home land.” Shin Woon –Chul a boxing promoter in Seoul, saw the story and made it happen. “I’ve always wanted to do this and was really excited when I herd about the offer. To me it’s pretty cool that I’m being invited back to the place I was born,” said Kim in a interview with W.B.A.N. On August 5, 2000 Kim took on Japan’s Tankano for the International Female Boxers Association (I.F.B.A) Junior Flyweight title in Seoul. Kim won the bout and title with a unanimous decision.

Kim’s bravery shows when she has to fight someone bigger. Like when she took on Teresa Arnold, even though she was a physical mismatch and Kim lost to her she wasn’t scared to try her hardest and not back out of the challenge. Kim’s bravery is also shown when she was a child and was abandoned, she wasn’t scared to go to the orphanage and when she was adopted she still wasn’t scared to go to her new life in America.

Kim is both mentally and physically strong. Her mental strength comes out when she is willing to go to greater challenges and ends up facing her fears. Kim's physical strength comes out when she is fighting and ends up getting hurt but she still finishes the fight and most of the time ends up wining.

On April 13 2002 Kim announced her retirement from competing in both boxing and kickboxing. She retired with a kick boxing record of 18-5-1 and a boxing record of 10-2-1. Now Kim and her husband have opened a gym (Ring Sport United) to help train others who want to learn boxing and kickboxing.